


Nature vs. Nurture (The Dalish Reformation vs The Peacetime Resistance Movement)

by Aristeia



Series: Nymeria Lavellan [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Civil Rights Movement, Complimentary Reading, Fictional, Fictional Religion & Theology, Politics, Research, Review, Science Fiction, Story, column, fake article, fake report, report
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-26
Updated: 2015-09-26
Packaged: 2018-04-23 10:20:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4873081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aristeia/pseuds/Aristeia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if in the modern world, elves were treated with derogatory insult, threatened with physical violence, and treated differently? Would anti-elf/pro-elf factions rise up to debate on elven rights and freedom?</p><p>A short article regarding the different sides of the Dalish Civil Rights Movement in the Modern!AU setting, as written from Solas' POV.</p><p>This is a supplementary article for The Night Has Eyes, my modern!AU DA:I fanfic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nature vs. Nurture (The Dalish Reformation vs The Peacetime Resistance Movement)

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: The following is a complimentary 'fake article' I spent a long time writing to go along with the politics for my main modern AU DAI fanfic, The Night Has Eyes. You do not have to read it to understand the main story, though I appreciate any criticism and commentary.
> 
> It is my first time writing anything of this sort, and the piece is rather dense, so you have been warned.

The bombing of the Grand Chantry in the Orlais this past winter was one of the most abhorrent crimes of the civil rights movement as of late. Four young girls attending Justinia Private Institute were killed when the bomb exploded while twenty others were injured. This Chantry was sadly the center for civil rights meetings. Ironically, just a few days earlier the Orlesian courts had publicly called for the desegregation of all schools in Orlais. 

While the subject of Elven Civil Rights has been a popular subject of late, the **Dalish Reformation** , a specific group of young Dalish thinkers, have shown the danger they hold once again. Although their cause can be perceived as 'just' for those who have experienced loss and suffering, they are nonetheless a group who would paint the streets red with the blood of innocent bystanders for the sake of 'freedom'.

Unfortunately, their more compromising counterpart - the **Peacetime Resistance Movement** \- has yet to comment on their actions. While the two groups are not in opposition of each other, they have only furthered the inner turmoil for the Elven populace. The Dalish in particular seem more involved in the Reformation than their city-dwelling brethren. 

While there are many places in Thedas where both elven and human-kind coexist in harmony as equals, it is obvious that a majority of the world hold many undeniable prejudices that strictly inhibit the progression of such unification. Last year, the recorded number of anti-'knife-ear' hate-crimes have increased to over 100,000, setting the record at an all-time high.

Obviously, the ideal compromise and end-result would be for both the elven and the human populace to live without prejudice in a world that seems to desire such segregation. Try as they might, every time a group of Dalish try to integrate themselves into 'human' territory, they are met with stereotyping preconception, disdain, and eventual violent persecution. Compared to those elves who had learned to adapt to human culture and city life, the Dalish are merely trying to preserve their culture, only to be judged in the face of the more popular lifestyles of the humans. Therefore, one can only logically deduce why they have chosen to reside in the more unpopular countryside, away from the populated cities seeking to discredit them.

Thus, the two aforementioned reformation groups come to light in these modern times. Both the **Dalish Reformation** and the **Peacetime Resistance** **Movement** fight for elvenkind to not only survive such prejudices, but to overcome them. In the most basic essence, all elves desire the same end-result (or so I would assume), Yet their differences lie in the _how_.

The PRM has exemplified its philosophy of nonviolence by seeking to gradually transform society’s fear into respect: The movement consists of a majority of Keepers who insist on the use of civilized verbatim and a strong adversity to violence. Rather than fight bigotry head on, the PRM insist on teaching their younger future generations to live side-by-side with humans in peace. While the general populace slowly learn to put aside old misconceptions of the Dalish race, the PRM busy themselves with teaching nonviolent civil reform and the art of quiet contemplation. With time, they hope to someday - slowly but surely - coalesce themselves into the common populace while simultaneously preserving their culture.

Unfortunately, to rear the young Dalish generation away from the general human populace is to shelter them. While the Dalish Keepers of the PRM preach communion, they are also guilty of practicing exclusion. It is obvious the Dalish Keepers are afraid exposure to the true nature of humanity, to the abuse and scorn, would sway their young ones from their nonviolent philosophy - and they would be right in worrying. Their hope to someday peacefully co-exist with humans by doing practicing non-violent protest is futile and naive. Furthermore, to refuse to protect your own life for the sake of 'reform' is suicide, not to mention a utterly foolish juvenile tactic.

On the other hand, the Dalish Reformation Movement seem to do nothing but instill fear to the populace, which poses more as a detriment than a benefit. Their motto, _'Never Again Shall We Submit'_ is blasphemous and in fact, a historically inaccurate misnomer - not to mention a insult to their ancient elvhen history.

In fact, the philosophy of the Dalish Reformation only serves to encourage needless bloodshed from both humans and elves alike (Dalish or not), without consideration for how barbaric such methods pose to their already-tarnished image. This is asinine – when city elves are attacked or verbally criticized by those who do not understand what they do not know, retaliating violence with more violence breeds only fear and more violence - a reoccurring lesson that even the most common education can provide.

I write this with the intention of hoping that the Dalish Reformation will realize the faults in their aggressive civil disobedience as a nonsensical struggle. By underestimating the capacity of human fear, the Dalish would lead their own people to perjury and extinction faster than the fall of Arlathan. They would become slaves to those who would show them no mercy at the behest of a few hot-headed reformation leaders who have little knowledge how social reform actually works.

By exemplifying more brutality against violence, you are encouraging savage behavior and exemplifying weakness, which sets up of a frail, diminishing future generation. To march into the streets with a violent mindset is setting your own people up for infamy and more slander. Violence only breeds more violence. In doing so, you might as well be marching into the cities with torches and pitchforks.

The topic of elven prejudice among society is not a matter of debate because it is a real, factual occurrence. While both groups may have virtuous motives, the stigma and chauvinism shrouding the Dalish will not vanish overnight. Both philosophies remain to be a guileless attempt for popular attention without an effective, actual result. Whether fully-aware or subconscious, perhaps someday these malpractices will dissipate. However, the chances of today being that day remains slim.

\- Author: Solas L. (excerpt from _"Thedas Historical Society Digest"_ , Issue #116.)

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaaaaaand I'll have to guys guess what Solas' last name is.


End file.
